APU Innovations in the Workplace

The pandemic forced many conference organizers to either cancel the event or offer virtual or remote attendance options. In this episode, Dr. Oliver Hedgepeth talks to APU business professor Dr. Wanda Curlee about the pros and cons of virtual conferences. While virtual or hybrid conferences can save money and travel expenses, they often lose the face-to-face networking opportunities for attendees. Learn about the factors contributing to conference structure, the growth of micro conferences, and the influence of generational difference and attendee make-up.

Providing curriculum that keeps pace with rapidly advancing technology in certain industries can be a major challenge for institutions of higher learning. In this episode, APU professor Justin Goldston talks to Jack Wong, CEO of LearnDay, about collaborating with traditional academic institutions to fill these curriculum development needs. Learn about efforts to create a symbiotic relationship between organizations to educate students about topics like artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain so they understand both the theory and driving force behind the technology as well as its practical and hands-on application.

The amount of plastic waste continues to pile up, despite widespread campaigns to encourage recycling. In this episode, Dr. Wanda Curlee talks to APU reverse logistics professor Dr. Oliver Hedgepeth about advancements in recycling including the use of robotics and artificial intelligence to sort plastics. Also learn the challenges of recycling certain plastics, steps manufacturers have taken to use recyclable plastic in their products, and the advantages and disadvantages of using artificial intelligence in recycling centers.

When people think of blockchain they think of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, but this decentralized network has far greater potential. In this episode, Dr. Wanda Curlee talks to APU professor Justin Goldston about rapidly developing blockchain models and the movement toward the interconnectedness of Web 3.0. Learn more about Bitcoin, Ethereum, Chainlink, Dogecoin, and the use of crowdloans and crowdsourcing to support the creation of some of these blockchain systems such as Polkadot. Also learn how artificial intelligence, or AI, may assist with the creation and protection of blockchains.

How are artificial intelligence systems making a difference in people’s lives? In this episode, Dr. Wanda Curlee talks to APU logistics professor Dr. Oliver Hedgepeth about the advancement of robotics and the use of AI in everything from household goods to self-driving vehicles. Also learn how various companies like Amazon and Walmart are incorporating AI into every aspect of their business including customer service, logistics, and delivery systems. Hear about the growing pains of this technology, including some of the funny and not-so-funny failures, as well as the legal challenges as the government tries to keep up with quickly advancing technology.

Artificial intelligence and robotics are revolutionizing forward and reverse logistics operations. In this episode, APU professor Dr. Oliver Hedgepeth talks to Dr. Wanda Curlee about the advancement of AI, why it’s so important for business leaders to understand AI, and how companies are using AI to make its logistics operations more cost effective. Also learn how AI is helping project managers understand data, make decisions, and the likelihood that AI will one day be considered a team member on a project management team.